Tofu? Can it be ground and used in place of hamburger meat in recipes?

[patricia92243]

I have never tried it, and thought this might be a good way to get started - that is if it can be used that way.

Any other hints or suggestions on using tofu will be appreciated :)

[livetohike]

1. Yes. Buy the firm tofu and you will need to press it

First, drain the water and then cut the tofu in half horizontally. Place the tofu between two plates with a weight on top of the top plate. I use my large cast iron skillet. Let it sit this way for about 1/2 an hour. Drain the water from it and crumble the tofu.

Another way is to freeze the block of tofu and then shred it. You might prefer the texture this way.

[patricia92243]

3. Thanks! I'll buy some and try it the next time I'm at the grocery store.

[wildeyed]

2. You can purchase vegetarian meat substitute, as well.

I am not sure if it is soy or textured vegetable protein, but it is pretty yummy. I find it at the back of the fruit and veggie section at my grocery store. You can also get it in the freezer section.

There is a vegetarian forum somewhere on DU. I bet they would have some really good ways to cook tofu.

[patricia92243]

4. We have a health food store in my town, and I'm sure they would carry some

something like that. I didn't realize we had a vegetarian group - I'll look around and see if I can find them - thanks!

[livetohike]

5. Here we are- good recipes in thread at the top

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=231

[NMDemDist2]

6. that is so cool they have them stickied to the top

we want that!!!!!!

:rofl:

[lakemonster11]

7. My dad has made tofu tacos before by just substituting

finely-chopped tofu for the ground beef in the recipe. It was pretty good.

This is how I usually cook tofu: I cut the tofu into rectangles (maybe 2"x2"x1/3"), then cook the pieces on a non-stick griddle (I've also used a cast-iron baker) with a little olive oil until they're golden-brown on both sides. If you drain the tofu well, it won't take long, but if you don't, the water will have to cook out before it starts to color. Then I just add it into a vegetable stir-fry or serve it on pasta with vegetables, tomato-based sauce, and some parmesan or feta cheese.

Another good use for tofu is as a substitute for creamy things in recipes. You can make a blend of firm tofu, soft tofu, a little bit of parmesan cheese, and some herbs that's a good substitute for ricotta cheese in lasagna. You can use blended silken tofu instead of milk and cream in creamy pureed soup recipes. I've also made a chocolate pie that was mostly blended silken tofu. Vegetarian, vegan, and healthy cookbooks are a good place to look for ideas about these sorts of uses. I think Robin Robertson's The Vegetarian Meat-and-Potatoes Cookbook has some good tofu recipes in it.

[wildeyed]

9. I usually marinate mine first,

maybe with some soy, ginger and a bit of sesame oil, then roast it in the oven. Great with pasta, salads, whatever.

Also, simply slicing an extra firm brick in half, browning it in a non-stick skillet, then adding any sticky sauce is a good, easy entree.

My husband claims to hate tofu, so I take great joy in crumbling or pureeing it into various recipes, then asking did you like that? It was good, right? Well it had TOFU in it! Ha! My kids love it. Great finger food for toddlers, so I guess it is kind of a comfort food for them now, since they had it so young. They hoover it up.

[livetohike]

12. My husband is the same way

I must be sadistic because I love sneaking it in on him :-).

[Warpy]

8. Not really, not as it comes out of the box

because it just decomposes into mush.

For a burger substitute, I freeze it, then I thaw it, crumble it, and dry it in a low oven I throw it into whatever sauce I'm making and throw in some cooked bulgur for a little "bite" here and there. It absorbs whatever sauce I'm cooking it in and freezing changes the texture completely so it hangs together in crumbles instead of going into mush.

I find tofu out of the box (if you're not going to dust it with cornstarch and fry it) is best used as a cheese substitute, in smoothies, in chocolate mousse, or in anything else where a mush consistency is OK.

[The empressof all]

10. I make a terrific tofu dip

I blend tofu, peanut butter, garlic and a little olive oil to make a fantastic veggie dip. You can add crushed red pepper and/or hot sauce for a little zip!

[supernova]

11. Morninstar Farms makes a hamburger substitute

it's just loose TVP. It's in the frozen section with their veggie breakfast sausages and "bacon." I've used it in lasagna and honestly, I can't tell the difference between that and ground hamburger.

[Ranec]

13. I suggest using frozen tofu.

I used to take the tofu out of the carton, slice it up, and put it in the freezer.
Then when you thaw it warm water, it drastically changes the texture of the tofu--makes it more stringy and tough.
More like what I imagine meat is like. My memory though is that it is very bland. Sort of styrofoamesque.

I think this would work better in something where you are replacing ground meat. Even firm tofu usually has the texture of scrambled eggs.